Urban trees save at least one life per year in cities

We know trees are important for the environment maintaining life on this planet but it's not just the wide swaths of forests that make a difference. Literally, every tree counts, even those located in urban areas. A new study by the US Forest Service reveals that "urban trees and forests are saving an average of one life every year per city. In New York City, trees save an average of eight lives every year." The U.S. Forest Service along with Davey Institute looked at trees in 10 major US cities -- including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Syracuse, NY -- and studied how effective they are at removing fine particulate pollution from the air. This pollution is responsible for "premature mortality, pulmonary inflammation, accelerated atherosclerosis, and altered cardiac functions." Turns out, tree...